Automotive manufacturers have very strict performance requirements of the coatings that are used in original equipment manufacture. For example, automotive OEM clear top coats are typically required to have a combination of good exterior durability, acid etch and water spot resistance, and excellent gloss and appearance.
Topcoat film-forming compositions, particularly those used to form the transparent clear coat in color-plus-clear coating systems for automotive applications, are subject to damage from scratching and marring of the coating during the life of the vehicle. Over time, the smooth, glossy appearance of the vehicle may degrade as the vehicle is subjected to abrasions that occur, for example, during washing of the vehicle.
It would be desirable to develop curable film-forming compositions that provide a hard, highly crosslinked film that may be softened as needed to allow mar and scratch defects to recover or “heal”. Such compositions would ideally have a combination of favorable performance properties particularly in coatings applications, such as superior appearance and resistance to environmental etching, spotting, and the like.